What might have been
by Ayrton
Summary: working title Written for a challenge. The Scoobies are abducted and Buffy faces the hardest decision in her life. Meant to be Giles/Buffy.
1. Chapter 1

_NOTE: Written for a callenge posted among the members of Breughel. It is the first part of a fic co-written by me and who ever will take up the challenge in the Breughel community._

_Set somewhere before The Becoming, so spoilers are to be expected. _

* * *

"Hi Buffy."

The familiar voice sent shivers through her spine.

She tensed up and swirled around, cursing herself for letting him get so close. The fact that she had just dusted four particularly fit vampires - football guys who'd died in a car crash- was no excuse for letting her guard down.

"Nice work, there." He said, keeping his distance and leaving a large gravestone between them.

She was still catching her breath and eyed him suspiciously, her slayer-hearing strained to the utmost. He seemed to be on his own and she assumed that he had not come to fight. If he was, he had a peculiar way of going about it. His old self would have given the enemy a fair chance, but not the new version. This one fought dirty and aimed to win.

"What do you want Angelus?"

He didn't fail to notice the slight tremble in her voice. He smiled. She was still affected by him.

True, her initial reaction was always one of joy until a fraction of a second later, her mind took over and she saw him for the man he now truly was; a vicious vampire.

"Did you come here to get your ass kicked?"

His hands went up in defence.

"No, this is just a cordial visit." His dark eyes gleamed with mischief. "In fact I came to invite you for a friendly visit to the mansion."

"I didn't know vampires had a sense of humour."

"O, come on love. For old times sake."

He had his Angel-face on now and it broke her heart at the thought what could have been. She gave herself a mental push and lifted up the stake she was holding in a provoking way.

"I suggest you leave town before I take you up on that offer."

She made sure that the threat in her voice sounded like a promise. She wanted Angelus out of Sunnydale. Out of her life and most of all; out of her memory.

"I hope that wasn't an idle threat." he said, while producing a package from behind his back. She tensed up, but he made sure his movements were slow when he put the package on the gravestone between them.

"See you around."

And then he vanished into the dark.

Tentatively Buffy approached the gravestone, her eyes never leaving the spot where the vampire had disappeared. It was a brown paper bag he had left for her. She picked it up and opened it slowly. Relieved that nothing leaped out at her, she peered inside. It contained clothing and a small wooden box. Buffy took it out and opened it.

Her heart missed several beats when she recognized the article inside. She saw it every day, several times a day in fact. She retrieved the spectacles from the box for a closer look. They were Giles' all right. Quickly she inspected the two other items and identified Xander's favourite vest and Willow's knitted hat.

"O, great!"

It was the understatement of the year.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

* * *

"You should try and slap him." Cordelia advised. "Worked for me once."

The Scoobies had awakened from their unconscious state but Giles was still completely out of it. He lay on the damp floor of their prison with Xander and Willow kneeling beside him.

"He looks kinda sweet when he's asleep." Willow thought.

Her face turned several shades of red when she saw Xander looking at her incredulously and realised that she had spoken out loud.

"Stay focused here, Will." Xander said while he gently tried to shake Giles into consciousness. " He's been knocked on the head. He is out of it. Understand? Sleep is a healthy condition. Being unconscious isn't."

Willow nodded. She took off her knitted sweater, folded it twice and lifted Giles' head to slide it under his skull. When she carefully lowered him back she looked into a pair of sleepy, green eyes.

"Thank you Willow."

His raspy voice almost made her yell out as if he were a corpse who'd just returned from the dead.

"Hey, G-Man!"

Xander was relieved to have him back. He didn't much like the idea of being locked up by a mysterious bunch of kidnappers without being able to rely on the resources of Buffy's Watcher. He always teased Giles a lot, but in his heart he had the utmost respect for the man. Even admired him for his bravery. Buffy had these special powers to help her face the dark forces of evil. What did Giles have to protect himself? Knowledge and courage and all that neatly bundled in a tweed wrapper.

Giles tried to get up but a vehement feeling of nausea made him close his eyes again and lie back.

"Careful, Giles." Willow gently lowered him back on her sweater. "You have a big lump back there."

Giles was glad he was still flat out on the floor. Otherwise the attack of vertigo he was having would certainly have put him there. When the worst was over he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.

They were in a cellar of some sorts. Old and damp. No windows that he could see and only one door; oak and very solid too.

"Where are we?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Xander replied. "They took our watches, so I don't know how long.."

"Let's get straight to the important question." It was Cordelia who interrupted him and by the look on her face she'd had quite enough of her involuntary stay in this dump. "How do we get out of here?"

Giles lifted his head up a bit to look at her. She had made herself comfortable on the only bunk in their prison.

"Aah, Cordelia. Glad to see you're okay."

Giles was granted a look that made him feel like the village idiot.

"Okay!? " she wailed. "Are you crazy? I knew it was a mistake when I asked you to help me out with my English test!"

Xander and Willow exchanged a look, knowing there was no stopping Cordelia by reminding here that they had more pressing problem on their mind. She was going to have her say and if they were lucky she wouldn't keep repeating herself the remainder of their time together. She gave them a recital of all the bad things that had happened to her lately. Most of it didn't involve any of the Scoobies, but at this point Cordelia just wanted to speak her mind. The others simply waited until she had concluded her tirade.

"Always when I hang out with one of you loonies I get into trouble!"

"Well, I'm glad you've got us all still labelled." Xander commented. "Do you have anything constructive to say, like, did you see who kidnapped us? You're the only one who didn't get knocked on the head...you must have seen something."

"Of course I did."

"And?"

"Well there was this big vampire who appeared from out of nowhere and he knocked Giles out cold." The memory of it made her glare at the Watcher in contempt. "With just one blow, Giles! Boy, no wonder your training session with Buffy are so short. I bet she decks you within a minute."

"What did he look like?" Willow wanted to know.

"Well, all the colour left his face and he drooled."

"Not, _Giles. _The vampire!"

"He was definitely smaller than Giles and...well... he had fangs."

" Is that all ?" Xander couldn't believe it.

"What more do you want?"

"Did he say anything that might give us any clue?"

"He spoke like a moron. I don't think he was capable of uttering a complete sentence."

Cordelia went on explaining how he had bound and blindfolded her and put a very smelly piece of cloth inside her mouth. Then she had been thrown into the boot of a car and had travelled for more than a quarter of an hour lying very uncomfortable on top of the unconscious Watcher.

"And don't ask me where my hands were located." she concluded. "I've never felt so embarrassed in my life!"

She glared at Giles as if he were totally responsible for her discomfort, even in his unconscious state. Willow and Xander helped the Watcher to his feet. He swayed a little between them, but steadied himself and they released him when he seemed to be able to stand on his own feet.

"So, we're probably still in Sunnydale." he said and adressed the two Scoobies beside him. "What about you two?"

"Same scenario, really." Xander said. "We never saw what hit us though."

"We were on our way home from school." Willow added.

"Thank God they didn't get hold of Buffy." Giles said while he straightened his clothes and tie. "She was out out patrolling."

"Surely she'll find out that something happened to us, right?" It was Cordelia who popped the question. "She does report back to you after her nocturnal rounds?"

"Well,..yes.." Giles acknowledged, reluctant to tell her the truth. "But usually the next morning."

"O, great!" Cordelia spat. "Can't you guys do anything right?"

She was about to go on one of her doomsday babblings when a familiar voice interrupted her.

"There you are!"

They all turned towards the sound of this familiar voice. Buffy stood in the doorway. She was relieved they were all right. For now. Her friends were too stunned to greet her. They didn't know what to make of it. How come she had found them so quickly? Had she also been kidnapped?

Cordelia was not bothered by such questions. Buffy was here and they could all go about their business.

"It's about time you showed up." she said and rose from the bed to take her leave. "I have this test coming up tomorrow and fall guy here promised to help me through it."

Her voice trailed off when she saw someone coming up behind Buffy.

Angelus.

Cordelia quickly joined the others and went to stand behind the Watcher.

"I guess I'll have to take the re-test." she whispered into Giles' ear.

Even Cordelia knew that Angelus was bad news. Very bad news.

The air in their prison had suddenly become icy. Giles face hardened at the sight of the vampire that had hurt his Slayer beyond repair. Xander's eyes betrayed a hint of doubt. Had Buffy taken sides with the vampire now? Or worse...had she turned?

"Buffy?"

It was Willow who dared to speak first. Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she was convinced everybody could hear it. The fact that they were at the mercy of the ruthless Angelus was bad enough, but she would never recover from the shock of losing her best friend to the world of the undead.

"It's okay, Will." Buffy tried to make it sound reassuring, but didn't quite succeed. "I'll get us out of this."

Behind her, Angelus smiled a devious smile that totally shattered her friends' confidence. Then he took hold of her arm and led her away. Behind them the door fell shut with a loud thud, which lingered for a long time in the silence.

* * *

_Part 3 will be written by a member of the Breughel group and hopefully will follow soon._


End file.
